Question:
I took the prescription weight loss drug called Redux.

I've had an echocardiogram, and am waiting for the results. If I have a malfunction in one of my heart valves will this prevent me from having the surgery? I've been told that most malfunctions are mild and do not effect a person's quality of life. However, I've heard of people who took Phen-Phen or Redux having to have an echocardiogram as part of their pre-testing.    — [Anonymous] (posted on December 20, 2001)

December 19, 2001
I also took Redux and I have not been required to have any futher testing so far. However, I am probably not going to be having my surgery until next month.
   — Pam L.

December 20, 2001
I took Phen-Fen for over a year and when one of the drugs was taken off of the market continued to take Phentermine. I have never had any problems and none of my docs seem to be conserned. I was told that the people that developed problems from the drug were the ones that either had a problem prior to taking it or were not under a doc's supervision while taking the drug. I will be having my surgery on 1-8-02 and am not being reqired to have any testing for possible problems. Good luck!! Vicki Mize
   — vmize

December 20, 2001
I took Phen-Fen for about 5 months in 1986 and my surgeon is requiring that I have the echocardiogram done. I will be having it done tomorrow as a matter of a fact. I met with the cardiologist and he said that it was mostly precautionary to make sure that if there is a problem they know about it up front before surgery. If there was a serious valve problem it most certainly would have manifested itself by now and ekgs would also be abnormal. I look at it this way, if there is a major problem found and it can be related to those drugs I took...look out I will be taking advantage of the law suit opportunities they keep advertising on TV.
   — SARose61

December 20, 2001
Having a valve problem would probably be more of a supporting co-morbid than a reason they would not want you to have surgery. I took phen/fen on three different doctor superviced diet attempts with the same doctor (at 9, 12, and 15 years old). In the summer of my junior year of high school I had what felt like a heart attack and went to the hospital and had an echocardiogram. Everything was fine except for trace regurgitation of my tricupsid valve (the regurgitation, a backwards leakage of the valves, is the problem assosiated with phen/fen I have been told). I am not ready to jump on the law suit bandwagon... they might throw my mom in jail for taking me to that quack of a doctor. He still runs the same program now with different drugs like adipex and dresses it up in a "lifestyle change"... right. Stop taking the medicine and you're back where you started... and it least he's got his fat fee... maybe I do want to jump on the bandwagon after all :P Good luck!
   — [Anonymous]